Saturday, January 21, 2012

Jacob and the trolls of Azar

                
     Jacob
                      And the Troll’s of Azar

                                         By Ian Duquemin









                                                            Jacob
             And the Troll’s of Azar

                                      Foreword


            In a land named Azar the Troll’s have lived for many years, guarding the three sacred stones and trying to solve their puzzle. Greed, betrayal and love would eventually stop the stones from spinning and reveal the visions of past, present and future. But will the present allow a peaceful future? It would take a reunion of old and new friends to decide on the outcome.



                                       Chapter 1 


    It was a hot spring morning and the sun hung high in the bright blue sky. Up on a meadow lazy cattle grazed on the lush green grass whilst their newly born calves stayed close to their mother’s sides. Rabbits hopped and skipped and nibbled on nettles, not straying far from their warren and carefully watched for any predators that might pass their way. However, one grey rabbit stood at a distance, he twitched his nose and kept an unusual orange coloured eye on the other rabbits on the meadow. A warm breeze blew and the cows picked up a scent, they looked towards the fence where the grey rabbit was standing. A mother cow let out a deep moo and then made sure that her calf was close by.
   A large old brown rabbit sat on top of the hill near an ancient hollow tree keeping a watchful eye on his family and friends. He noticed the cow’s unusual behaviour and followed its gaze towards a nearby fence, he stood up as high as he could and beat his hind leg on the ground warning his warren of a possible danger. As the grey rabbit with the strange orange eyes got closer to the other rabbits, he heard a noise from behind him and looked around to see what it was, he glanced towards the long grass that grew along the wooden fence and then he saw something stealthy move. The old rabbit on the hill beat his leg harder on the ground drumming out his warning and his clan quickly returned to the safety of their underground home. The fox had been watching the grey rabbit for some time now, watching his every move. He licked at his drooling lips with his long wet tongue and made eye contact with the grey rabbit; Once he had been spotted the fox wasted no time at all and he ran from his hiding place charging towards his prey whose orange eyes froze for a moment, the fox thought that he saw a faint smile on the rabbits face but he must have been mistaken surely. The rabbit bolted towards the warren but the fox was quick and was right behind him, snapping its teeth at the rabbit’s tail. The rabbit sprang in one direction and then leapt in another causing the predator to charge the wrong way but the fox twisted its lean body and was soon back at the rabbits heels. The rabbit skipped and jumped and darted across a field at a quickening pace, he saw a house close by and sprinted towards it. In the back yard by a small shed was a large stack of logs, the rabbit found a small space under the wood and pushed himself into the hole... just in time! The fox peered into the hiding place and the grey rabbit stared back; his eyes glaring like burning embers in his dark shelter, this time it was the rabbit licking at his lips. Suddenly, just as the rabbit was about to attack his victim, he heard a loud bang and the fox turned and ran. ‘’Did you hit it dad?’’ the boy said to his father, ‘’I wasn’t trying to hurt it Jacob!’’ Said the man to his son, ‘’I was just scaring it away’’. Under the pile of logs the shape shifter was no longer a rabbit, its rabbit form had contorted as it twisted and stretched its limbs and became the creature now watching the boy. ‘’Jacob!’’ he whispered with a grin.
    Jacobs’s father opened the door to the little wooden house entered and then placed his gun safely out of reach on top of a cupboard; Jacob followed his father into the small room and sat on his creaking chair. Dino, the boy’s cat looked up from the comfort of the bed and gave a big tired yawn.
    ‘’I think I will go for a walk!’’ the boy said to his dad ‘’it’s a lovely day outside’’. Jacobs father patted his son on the head and smiled down at him, ‘’you have been working very hard lately so go and play but don’t go too far!’’ he told him.
      Jacob walked outside and instantly felt the suns heat. It was very hot and the breeze did nothing to cool him down, it just blew gentle warmth through the air. He walked around the back of the house and then headed up the hill and over the fields towards Jacobs well. He hadn’t visited for a few months, he had missed his friends so much and he was really looking forward to seeing them again.
      Not far behind the boy a grey squirrel followed, keeping its distance but watching his every move. Could this be the same Jacob that he had seen visions of in the first sacred stone! He thought to himself, the same boy the sacred stones told of in Azar! The squirrel would shadow Jacob and find out where he was going... his orange eyes shone.

                             

                                      Chapter 2

    
    As Jacob ran down the hill towards the once lost well now called Jacobs well, he heard the sound of little voices below. Flowers danced when the warm breeze blew and the grass smelled sweet and fresh.
     A bluebird flew towards him excitedly swooping and looping in the air, "Jacob!’’ she called out, ‘’it is lovely to see you!’’. ‘’It's nice to see you too Daisy’’ the boy replied holding out his hand; the bird landed on his finger and she let herself be carried down the hill.
     The king of the fairy folk and Princess Eleanor greeted the boy on his arrival; other fairies blew on trumpets made of reeds and flowers as their visitor and friend sat down by the well. ‘’We have not seen you in a while!’’ said the king to the boy. Jacob smiled down at his friends and told them how his father had got back to full health on his last return. How they had been spending their time together hunting for food, fishing, chopping logs, mending broken fencing and cleaning up the house.

    It had been a busy few months and he had enjoyed the time spent with his dad.
    A mouse was picking a berry from a nearby bush when he heard the commotion by the well and he trotted over towards the excitement. A big smile beamed across his face when he saw who was sitting there, he quickened his pace and then leapt on to Jacobs lap. Jacob carefully picked up the mouse and held him to his chest, ‘’it is wonderful to see you again Dizzy!’’ said the boy. The mouse gave a cheesy grin, ‘’I have missed you my friend!’’ he replied. Jacob looked around the welcoming crowd, ‘’where is Lolly?’’ he asked, ‘’she is over by the lake Jacob and she will be very pleased to see you!’’ said Princess Eleanor.

    Jacob stood up and span in a circle three times to the right and then smiled at the mouse, ‘’do you want to give me a ride to the lake?’’ he said, ‘’Jump on’’ laughed Dizzy. The boy jumped onto the mouse’s back, ‘’don’t forget to hold on tight Jacob! Yee-ha! Let’s go!’’ Dizzy yelled while pretending to buck like a horse and off they headed towards the lake.
     The King had allowed Jacob to keep the magic spell that Lolly had given him a few months earlier but it would only work on the fairies land or if needed if Jacob or his friends should find themselves in danger. The boy had tried it at home to show Dino his trick but it hadn’t worked and Dino had given the boy a silly smile for his efforts.
     Up on the hill hiding behind a tree, two orange eyes watched from above, ‘’it is him!’’ the squirrel said excitedly to himself, ‘’He is magic! I must go and tell Froggle that I have found him!’’ The squirrel scurried along the grass so not to be seen and then made his way home to Azar. He was hungry after not catching a rabbit earlier... or a fox.

                                 


                                         Chapter 3


   Sat by the lake Lolly swirled her little hand through the cool clear water, it rippled for a moment and when she looked at her reflection in the watery mirror a tear dropped from her eye and landed in a silent splash. She wiped her eyes with her wet hand and then saw the figure standing behind her as the water stilled, her heart skipped inside her chest and she jumped to her feet and span around, ‘’Jacob’’ she called out as she wrapped her arms around the boy, he squeezed her back as the fairy held him tightly. ‘’Hello Lolly’’ Jacob replied ‘’are you crying?’’, ‘’No’’ the fairy giggled ‘’I just had something in my eye that's all’’. Lolly gave a big smile and hugged him once again, ‘I am so pleased to see you Jacob’’.
   Back at the well the party was in full swing, fairies laughed and danced and as Lolly, Jacob and Dizzy returned everybody gave a loud cheer.
  
   Not too far away Dipper had shed his squirrel disguise and was now in his natural troll form. His hair was black and scruffy which snaked down his back, his short stubby legs ran as fast as they could carry him and his orange eyes shone brightly with the excitement of his discovery. As he reached Azar he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, then entered the hollow fallen tree trunk and made his way through the tunnel. On the other side of the lake he jumped from the bridge and made his way to the entrance of the cave. As he approached Dipper felt that he was being watched but he could not see anyone as he looked around the area; trolls were masters at hiding and very cunning but that was about all they were good at, they were clumsy and careless and most were not very intelligent creatures at all. At the entrance of the cave the troll on guard duty was fast asleep, his big feet were crossed and he let out a rumbling snore. Dipper picked a long reed from the lake side and tip toed quietly towards the guard; he held out the reed in front of him like a sword and began to tickle at the guards long toes. The sleepy troll gave a giggle as his toes curled and his feet twitched, he woke and then he jumped up on his over sized tickled feet. ‘’Who goes there?’’ he mumbled in a tired groggy voice, rubbing his heavy eyes, Dipper poked him in the belly with the reed and answered ‘’ it’s me Bibble!’’ as he let out a laugh, ‘’Ha-ha’’.  Bibble was Dippers best friend; he was the biggest troll in Azar and stood nearly two foot tall. Bibble gave a stretch, ‘’Dipper, where have you been?’’ he asked his friend, ‘’I have found Jacob’’ replied Dipper ‘’I must tell Froggle’’.
     Dipper hurried through the twisting tunnels that led to Froggle’s room and when he arrived he banged on the door excitedly. ‘’Enter’’ a voice called out, Dipper opened the wooden door and walked into the large room. The room was full of books on tall shelves and high up on a rickety ladder the old troll looked down upon his visitor, ‘’Dipper, what can I do for you?’’ he asked whilst picking out a heavy book, he blew it and dust clouded the air around him.’ I have found Jacob!’’ the young troll replied excitedly. Froggle climbed carefully down the creaking ladder and placed the book on an old table in the middle of the room, Dipper told Froggle of how he had found the boy and how he had followed him and seen his magic powers, how he had witnessed the boy shrink and climb upon a mouse’s back and how the fairies had welcomed him onto their land. Froggle called him to the sacred stones on the table and pointed to the first stone, ‘’are you sure it was this boy?’’ he asked Dipper. Dipper looked at the three stones on the table, one was lying still whilst the other two moved back and forth on their own, swapping places with one another before flipping, jumping and spinning and then rotating yet again, sometimes slowly and then suddenly so fast that you could barely see them move. The still stone showed pictures on its shiny surface and a boy’s face appeared... it was Jacob. ‘’Are you sure that this is the boy that you saw?’’ Froggle asked in a quiet excited tone, ‘’Yes, that was him’’ replied Dipper.
     Outside the room with an ear pressed to the door, Smudge, the most cunning troll in Azar listened closely to the discussion between the old and young troll within. He had secretly watched Dipper outside with his friend and knew that he had been excited about something, so he had followed him to Froggle’s room to find out more. After listening he knew that if the human called Jacob were to come to Azar to solve the puzzle of the sacred stones, his plans and schemes to take over Azar and the fairy kingdom would be ruined. A sly grin crossed his face and he told himself that this was only a minor setback and that once the boy was out of the way... nothing could stop him. The troll turned and made his way down the long tunnels, out of Azar and then he headed towards the fairies land.



                                   Chapter 4


   The sun beat down on the fairy kingdom and flowers swayed in the warm breeze.
    Lolly had counted to fifty and called out loudly ‘coming... ready or not!’’ before she opened her eyes and then flew up into the air. Daisy, Dizzy and Jacob were hiding and she had to find them, she flew around the land looking behind rocks and bushes but couldn’t see any of her friends so she landed on the top of the well and sat there for a moment, watching for any kind of movement that would give away their hiding places. She heard a snigger close by and flew down to the bucket hanging below her, ‘’found you Daisy!’’ the fairy chuckled; Daisy popped her head up and returned the laugh. Lolly looked down from her watch tower and saw a leaf move, she darted down to the grass and flipped the leaf over, ‘’ha-ha, found you Jacob’’ she giggled again, ‘’just Dizzy to find now’’.
  
    Dizzy laughed to himself from on top of the hill; he crouched behind the ancient tree peering down as he watched his friends being found so easily. ‘’She will never find me up here!’’ he chuckled to himself out loud with a big smile upon his face, all of a sudden everything went dark and he didn’t know what was happening, he was inside something and he struggled to get out, ‘’what’s going on?’’ he called out... there was no reply.
    Froggle opened the heavy book on the table and studied the drawings inside; Dipper also looked at the book but could not make sense of any of the writing. He could however make out the drawn pictures; there was a boy, a mouse, a bird and a fairy, also there were sketches of a well, a giant spider, an old lady with green eyes and a rat with one eye. Froggle turned a page and again there were more drawings and scribbled writing. Dipper studied the page and again it made little sense, ‘’what is this Froggle?’’ Dipper queried. ‘’This is a very old book Dipper’’ replied the wise old troll, ‘’written many years ago. It tells of the sacred stones; of how a boy would solve their puzzle and of how he will save Azar. It doesn’t tell of how he will do this or why, so we will not know until the other two sacred stones stop moving and they reveal their visions’’.
Froggle turned to Dipper and said ‘’I want you to go and find Jacob and try to bring him here to Azar; I need to ask him if he knows what the sacred stones are for and what their purpose is. We have protected them for many years yet we know very little about them’’. He pointed to the first stone that sat still on the table and then picked it up, ‘’up until a few months ago this stone also moved but it suddenly stopped and showed us these images of the boy named Jacob; it showed him finding a wish and defeating the guardian of the fairies well with his friends. What will the other two stones show once they stop moving?’’ Froggle looked up at Dipper and smiled, ‘’find Jacob and bring him to me, take somebody with you... your friend Bibble! Tell Jacob that we need him and that we mean no harm to him... or his friends’’, Dipper agreed and then left the room closing the door behind him.
    Lolly, Daisy and Jacob searched high and low for their friend but could not find Dizzy anywhere, ‘’Dizzy! Where are you?" Jacob called out but there was no reply. Lolly and Daisy flew around the fairy land but could not see the little mouse anywhere so they all returned to the well. ‘’Something is wrong Lolly’’ Jacob said with a frown ‘’I can feel it!’’, ‘’He has probably fallen asleep under a berry bush somewhere’’ replied Daisy trying to reassure the boy. Jacob stood up and then span around three times to the left until he reached his normal size, he looked down at his friends and told them that he would go and look for Dizzy elsewhere and that he would return as soon as he had found him. ‘’You stay here, I will be quicker by myself’’ he explained, ‘’if Dizzy should return while I am away tell him to stay here until I get back’’. Jacob turned and walked up the hill until he got to the ancient tree and then he waved down to his friends before disappearing over the hill and out of view.
    Smudge dragged the sack behind him until he reached the old deserted rabbit warren, he crawled through its twisting narrow tunnels until he came to a large hollowed out cavern, Inside this room was a deep hole and he threw the sack into it.

   Dizzy landed with a thud, the mouse crawled out of the sack and looked up at the troll staring down at him ‘’where am I?’’ he asked rubbing his head ‘’do you know who your messing with ugly?’’. Smudge smirked and asked the little mouse below him ‘’who is this boy Jacob and why is he in the sacred stones?’’. Dizzy looked puzzled, ‘’I don’t know what you are talking about... what sacred stones? Let me out of here you creepy looking ape!’’. Smudge frowned and kicked some dirt down into the hole which landed on Dizzy's head. ‘’Let's see how important a silly little mouse really is... let’s see if your friend will come to rescue you... If he falls into my trap there will be nobody to stand in my way and prevent me from becoming leader of Azar... and king of the fairy kingdom’’. Smudge picked up a large rock and placed it over the hole, Dizzy was in darkness and as the troll left the warren he could hear a faint voice shouting; ‘’Jacob will find me and when I am out of here your mine  bug eyes... do you hear!’’.  

                                

                                       Chapter 5


   Dipper found Bibble fishing by the lake; he was sat leaning against a tall tree holding a stick that dangled its string into the water. Bibble looked up at his friend and as Dipper approached he gave a smile, ‘’caught anything?’’ Dipper asked, ‘’not one single bite’’ replied Bibble, ‘’you did remember to put a worm on the hook this time didn’t you?’’ Bibble put a hand to his forehead and gave it a gentle slap, ‘’I knew I had forgotten something’’ he said with a sigh. He pulled the string out of the water and there was no worm, in fact there was no hook either, just the piece of string hanging from the stick, the two friends laughed.
   Dipper sat next to his friend against the trunk of the tree and gave his back a rub against the rough bark before he explained to Bibble what Froggle had wanted them to do. "Do you think he will come with us?" the big footed troll asked, "Let's find out" Dipper replied, they both got up and then headed towards the well.

    On their way the two friends passed the old neglected rabbit warren just as Smudge was coming out of its entrance. ‘’What are you doing in there?’’ Dipper asked the suspicious looking troll. ‘’Just looking, what’s it got to do with you what I am doing anyway?’’ replied Smudge as he pushed past them and disappeared between some bushes. Bibble looked at Dipper and said ‘’what’s wrong with him?’’Dipper shrugged, ‘’I don’t know Bibble he is always grumpy... come on, let’s go’’.
    Jacob looked everywhere but there was still no sign of Dizzy. He was very worried about his friend and was just about to turn around and head back towards the well to see if he had returned when he saw the little mouse walking towards him. ‘’Dizzy!’’ the boy called out, “where have you been, I have been looking for you everywhere”. Dizzy looked up at Jacob “I got lost, I went for a walk and I couldn’t find my way back”, he replied. Jacob picked his small friend up, he looked different, he must be tired thought Jacob to himself; he placed Dizzy on his shoulder and headed back towards the well. “We have all been so worried about you” Jacob told his friend, Dizzy smiled... and his orange eyes glowed. 



                                        Chapter 6


  As Jacob came over the hill with the mouse on his shoulder Daisy and Lolly jumped with excitement, “Jacob has found him” said Daisy in a relieved tone. Jacob neared the well and he put Dizzy onto the grass. Daisy hugged her friend, she was pleased that he was safe and not hurt but she sensed that something was wrong with the usually happy mouse; he didn't return the hug as he normally would have, “What’s the matter Dizzy?” she asked her friend with a frown, “nothing!” he snapped “I'm just tired”. He trotted towards a berry bush near the well, lay down under it and then closed his eyes. Daisy was upset, Dizzy had never shouted at her before and she was very hurt, “he is just exhausted and needs a rest” said Jacob who was now his friend’s size once again. He put his arms around Daisy and gave her a hug; she wrapped her wings around the boy and squeezed him back with a smile, “You are right Jacob, after his rest and some food he will be back to his usual silly self”. Under the bush the mouse was pretending to be asleep, he listened to the worried friends and smiled... he had fooled them.
  By the time Dipper and Bibble reached the ancient tree Jacob was just about to head back home, he had been gone all morning and needed to get back to his father. The boy told his friends that he would be back to visit tomorrow and to check up on Dizzy to make sure that he was feeling better. Jacob span around and became his usual size, he said his goodbyes and then headed up the hill towards home. As Jacob passed the ancient tree on top of the hill he saw two rabbits happily nibbling on some nettles, he skipped passed them and descended the steep hill that sloped to the fields below... the two rabbits followed.
  Jacob was hot and although he could see his house in the distance he stopped for a rest and laid down on the warm grass looking up at the bright blue sky above, “Jacob”, the boy sat up after hearing his name being called, he turned his head and looked around but nobody was there, just another two rabbits. The boy looked closer at the furry little animals and noticed that they both had orange eyes but the larger one of the two had the silliest big feet; he had never seen a rabbit with such large feet. He looked at the smaller rabbit as it stood up on its hind legs and stared at him for a moment. “Jacob” the rabbit said aloud, the boy was startled and got up onto his knees, “Did you just say my name?” he asked. The smaller rabbit came closer and sat in front of the boy; “yes” he replied “we need your help Jacob”. Jacob looked puzzled and asked what help he could be to them, “we need you to come to Azar and speak to Froggle” answered the rabbit, “where in the world is Azar? I have never heard of a place called Azar before and who is Froggle? Is he a rabbit too?” asked the boy. “We are not really rabbits Jacob” said the big footed rabbit; “well you look like rabbits to me!” Jacob giggled, “What are you then... cows!” Dipper looked at Bibble, then they both looked up at the boy and together at the same time they said “we are trolls”.
  At the well Lolly and Daisy sat waiting for Dizzy to wake up. When he eventually sat up and gave a stretch Daisy rushed over to see his happy face, “are you feeling better Dizzy?” she asked him with a smile, the mouse looked at her and rolled his orange eyes “beat it will you, leave me alone!” Daisy was so upset that she burst into tears, turned and then flew into the sky until she was out of sight. “Dizzy! What is the matter with you, how could you upset Daisy like that?” Lolly said sternly before she flew in Daisies direction to find her friend. The mouse got up and walked freely amongst the fairy folk, he would try to find out as much as he could about the boy before he returned to Azar.
  Jacob let out a gasp when Dipper and Bibble returned from a nearby bush; they had changed back into their troll form and crept out into view with cheesy grins on their faces. The boy had never seen such odd looking creatures, “aren’t trolls evil and nasty?” Jacob asked, “They are in all the stories I have read." “Do we look evil and nasty?” replied Bibble with a saddened look upon his face, “No... You don’t” Jacob answered, Bibble gave a goofy smile once more.
  “So, how can I help you?” Jacob asked the two trolls with interest. Dipper and Bibble introduced themselves properly and told him of their home in Azar and how the sacred stones had shown pictures of Jacob, the boy listened closely but found the story hard to believe. When they had finished Jacob sat quietly for a moment trying to make sense of the story he had just been told, then he sat up and queried “I am in the stone? Are you sure it is me?” Dipper looked up at the boys face “I have seen your very face in the stone Jacob, please come to Azar and talk to Froggle”. Jacob asked the two trolls to wait right here, he needed to pop home and tell his father that he was okay and that he was going back out for awhile. The boy got up and ran towards his house, when he entered he looked for his dad but he was not there, he found a note that was placed on the bedside table and it read – Jacob, gone to the village to get some supplies, I will be back this evening, love dad. Jacob rushed over to his draw and took out his compass and pen knife, he put them into his trouser pocket and then he cut three large slices of bread which he smothered with jam before heading for the door, as he closed it behind him Dino looked up from his curled up furry ball on the bed and gave a ridiculous smile.
   When Jacob returned to where he had left the two trolls only Bibble was there, he was sound asleep with his big feet pointing up into the air. The boy looked around for Dipper and saw the smaller troll walking towards him; he had a rabbit slung over his shoulder that he had caught for dinner and as he approached his snoring friend he gently kicked Bibble's large foot, “Come on, it’s time to go home” he said. Jacob gave them a sandwich each and they ate it on their way to Azar.
   Lolly found Daisy sobbing high up in a tree; she landed next to her friend and then sat down beside her and put an arm around the bluebird. Daisy looked up at the fairy and said tearfully “what is wrong with Dizzy?” Lolly shrugged her shoulders and replied “I don’t know, he doesn’t seem himself, maybe he isn’t well”. The fairy kissed her friend on the cheek and said “let's go home Daisy.” Daisy gave a sad smile and then together they flew from the branch they were sat on and made their way back to the well.
  The mouse had been walking around the fairy kingdom trying to get some information about Jacob, he had asked a few questions but the fairies seemed not to want to talk to him; it wasn’t until he saw Princess Eleanor that he got the answer that he was looking for. She was sat under the shadow of a big leaf keeping cool on this sunny hot afternoon when Dizzy sat down next to her, he smiled and she smiled back at him. “It's a lovely day!” he said to the Princess, “it is Dizzy” she replied, “The sun has made the berries on that bush big and ripe, would you mind passing me one please?” The mouse got up and stood on his hind legs and pulled at a berry, it came off easily and he returned and handed it to the Princess. “Are you not having one yourself Dizzy?” Princess Eleanor asked, “Yuk, no thank you, I don’t like berries” replied the mouse; “they give me indigestion”. The princess looked at the mouse puzzled, something was not quite right with him. Dizzy looked at her and randomly asked “what is so special about Jacob?” Princess Eleanor began to get suspicious of the mouse and answered “why do you ask that Dizzy? You are his friend and should know why Jacob is so special”; “I wonder whether he is so special!" Dizzy replied, "he can't be very clever, he can’t even see that Lolly is in love with him”. Smudge nearly blew his cover by saying that he hadn't even known them a day and could see how the fairy looked at the boy but the princess luckily spoke out before the words spilled from his mouth, “she is a fairy and he is a human Dizzy and only the lost sacred stones can change that but they were stolen many years ago and have never been found”. The mouse’s ears pricked up and a smile crossed his lips, “I need a sleep, I am very tired again” he said to the fairy and then he trotted back towards the well.
  Under the berry bush close to the well, the mouse pretended to sleep once again. When he saw that nobody was watching he scampered up the hill towards the ancient tree, soon the cunning troll headed back towards the rabbit warren... and Smudge had a plan.

                                   
                               
                                 Chapter 7


    As Jacob, Dipper and Bibble approached Azar they came to the lake that had the hollowed out tree bridge, the two trolls went through it while Jacob climbed on top and walked over it. Once across the boy jumped down to the ground and he landed just as Dipper and Bibble came out of the tunnel. “How much farther is it to Azar anyway?” Jacob asked his new friends, “We are here” replied Bibble. Jacob looked around the area; all he could see was a muddy cliff face and a few trees and bushes, nothing out of the ordinary. “This is Azar?” Jacob said with a chuckle. The trolls lead the way to the cave entrance at the base of the muddy cliff face and walked inside, Jacob did not follow so they returned outside and looked up at the boy. “Are you not coming in?” asked Dipper, “How am I supposed to get in that little hole?” Jacob replied. “You can magic yourself small can’t you Jacob?” said Bibble, “I can only do that in the fairy kingdom or if I am in danger" he explained.
   Seeing as he was no longer on the fairies land and he wasn't in any danger Jacob crouched down, "maybe I can crawl in” he said to his new friends, the boy got on his hands and knees and followed the trolls into the cave; It was a tight fit but Jacob managed to make his way through the tunnels towards Froggle's room. Dipper knocked on the wooden door and a voice called out “come in!” Dipper and Bibble entered the room and Jacob Squeezed himself through the doorway; once he was inside the large room Jacob managed to sit upright but his head touched the ceiling and his neck was slightly crooked. Froggle introduced himself and was very excited, “I am very pleased to meet you Jacob, my name is Froggle and I am the leader of Azar, something very exciting has happened and I believe that you are the one!” the old troll smiled. Jacob looked confused “the one?” he queried. Froggle clapped his hands and then rubbed them together, “as you entered Azar the second sacred stone stopped moving.” He pointed to the stones on the table and Jacob looked down on them, two stones lay still while the third flipped and span up and down on its own. The boy looked at the first stone and as Dipper had explained earlier it showed pictures of himself, Dizzy, Lolly and Daisy finding the last wish in the well. The pictures or visions in the stone were very clear and accurate, although it only showed parts of their adventure ending with Jacob whispering “follow your heart” Then it repeated the visions all over again.
    The second stone showed new images but these were still very blurry and nothing could be made out but fuzzy movements. “Why can’t you see what’s in the second stone?” asked Jacob, Froggle studied the sacred stone carefully, “it is not ready to show us yet Jacob but it will become clearer”. “I have called you here to ask what you know about the stones Jacob, we have guarded them for many years and our ancestors guarded them before us yet we know not why” Froggle explained. Jacob looked even more confused, “I have never even heard of them before and I don’t know why they are showing pictures of me in them! I am very sorry Froggle but I cannot help you at all” replied the disheartened boy. “Never mind Jacob, thank you very much for coming to our home, it has been a pleasure meeting you and I am sure that once the second stone begins to focus we may have some answers”.
     As Jacob, Dipper and Bibble left the cave the boy stood up and gave a stretch, he said goodbye to the trolls jumped on top of the fallen tree and crossed the lake. Jacob waved to his new friends and then headed home.
    Smudge entered the old rabbit warren; he lifted the heavy rock like a lid and then looked into the hole. Dizzy looked up at the troll “who are you and what do you want from me?” he called out feebly, the little mouse was hungry and tired. Smudge threw a berry into the hole and Dizzy caught it and took a bite, it wasn’t very ripe and was a little sour but he crammed it into his mouth anyway then chewed and swallowed the bitter fruit. The troll smiled and before replacing the rock he said “everything is going to plan mouse and I am sure your friend Jacob will come to rescue you soon.” The troll grinned let out a loud laugh and then he let go of the rock which slammed down over the hole.
   When Jacob returned home his father was still not back yet so the boy told Dino all about the day he had had, Dino listened and when Jacob had finished he smiled and said “trolls! Are you sure you can trust a troll? Everyone knows that you can’t trust a troll and that they are evil and bad”. Jacob poured himself a cup of milk and then sat back down on the bed next to his cat. “They seemed very nice to me Dino, I don’t know why stories always say that they are horrible, and Dipper, Bibble and Froggle were very pleasant indeed”. Jacob took a gulp of milk which left a white moustache above his upper lip, he wiped it off with the back of his hand and then asked Dino if he had heard of the sacred stones but his cat had not either and shook his head. When Jacobs’s dad returned his son was sound asleep on the bed cuddled up with his cat; he threw a blanket over them, tucked them in and then he kissed the boy on the forehead. The sun was setting and the day was nearing an end.

                               

                                        Chapter 8


   The following morning Jacob woke up early, his dad was already up and chopping logs outside. Jacob made two cups of tea, cut two thick slices of bread and spread them with the strawberry jam that his father had bought from the village the day before; he put everything on a tray and kicked open the door and went outside. It was already warm and his father stopped and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt before lifting the axe once more and chopping it down into a log. Jacob put the tray on the ground and sat down; his father came over and joined him and they ate their breakfast in the early morning sunshine. “Looks like another fine day Jacob” his father said with a smile, his son returned the smile and his dad rubbed the boys head. “You have fun today, I have caught up with my work and I just have a few more logs to chop then I’m done”. Jacob wasted no time, he was anxious to see if Dizzy was better so he jumped up, kissed his father on the cheek and then ran inside, “would you like to come with me Dino?” he said to his cat, Dino smiled a silly smile and jumped to his feet. They left the house and made their way to the fairy kingdom.
   Once they arrived Lolly and Daisy came flying towards them as they walked down the hill, Daisy was in a panic and although very happy to see her friends she was extremely worried about Dizzy, “Dizzy has been missing all night Jacob” she explained “after you left he disappeared and we haven’t seen him since”. Jacob neared the well and everybody gathered around the boy and his cat, he introduced Dino to everyone and then span in his usual circles; Then to Dino’s surprise the boy shrunk to a tiny size, Jacob gave his cat a wink with a 'told you so' look on his face and the giant cat winked back. “We can’t find Dizzy anywhere” said Lolly, Princess Eleanor told how she had been the last to see him and how strange he had been acting. “That’s not like Dizzy at all to be so rude” said the boy to his friends, “I will go and see if I can find him, he has probably just got lost again”. Jacob stood up and span to his normal size, “come on Dino, you come with me!” he said to his cat, “the rest of you go with Lolly and Daisy!” The other fairy folk agreed and they all flew off to help find their friend.
     Jacob and Dino had been searching for Dizzy for quite some time, they looked behind bushes, behind rocks and trees and they even looked into an old neglected rabbit warren but they could not find the little mouse anywhere. Dino was getting tired from the walk and began falling behind, Jacob was quite far ahead but still in his sights so he just plodded along at his own slow speed, looking and searching for Dizzy along the way.
   As Jacob turned a corner he saw Dipper and Bibble running towards him as fast as their little legs could run; as they approached they stopped in front of the boy and caught their breath, “you must come to Azar Jacob, Froggle has something to show you and it’s very important” said the smaller troll. “Okay” replied Jacob “I just need to wait for Dino, he will be here shortly”. “Who is Dino?” Bibble asked panting and wheezing, Jacob was just about to reply when Dino appeared around the corner. The two trolls screamed together “a cat!” they cried out in a panic, they both turned to run and then crashed into one another, Dipper tripped over one of Bibble's massive feet and then they both fell to the ground. “It’s only my cat Dino!” Jacob explained to the two trembling trolls, both now lying on the ground covering their eyes with their hands, Dipper peeked through his fingers and said in a quivering voice “he won’t eat us will he?” Jacob laughed “Why would Dino eat you?” Bibble replied nervously “cats are evil and bad, how do we know we can trust him, everyone knows you can’t trust a cat”. Jacob remembered the conversation that he had had with Dino earlier and burst into laughter.
   After the trolls had calmed down and explained that of all the creatures in the world, cats were feared by trolls more than any other, they made their way to Azar. Dino had been very tired so Jacob had told him to make his way back to the well and rest until they returned.
   Around the old table Froggle, Dipper, Bibble and Jacob watched the now clear images in the second sacred stone; They looked in horror at what it showed, the trolls had taken over the fairy kingdom and one troll whose face could not be seen as you could only see him from behind, raised his long arms into the air and shouted... “I am the leader and king now, bow down to me!” After that the stone re-showed the same visions as the first stone did. “That is horrible” said Dipper, “I don’t understand” Froggle said in a saddened voice “we are peaceful trolls and would never harm the fairy folk”. “We had better tell the king and Princess Eleanor Froggle” Jacob told the wise old troll, “you are right Jacob, I will come with you to show that we come in peace, you too Dipper and Bibble”. As they left Azar Smudge crept into Froggle’s room, he looked at the vision in the second sacred stone... and smiled.

                               

                                    Chapter 9

   As Jacob, Dipper, Bibble and Froggle descended the hill towards the well, Daisy, Lolly and the entire fairy folk had returned without Dizzy. Jacob introduced his new friends to the King and Princess Eleanor and they called a meeting to discuss the sacred stones. The king told Froggle of how the stones had been stolen by his brother many years ago and Froggle told the king of how they had been guarded and protected during that time. Froggle asked the question that he had been desperately searching for; he wanted to know what the sacred stones were for and why they had needed to be protected, the king explained that they were missing parts of three empty wish boxes held in the wish chamber and that when they were placed back they would behold the most powerful wish ever.  When they were stolen they were just stones and of no use at all to the treacherous prince, the stones would pick the chosen one to place them back on the wish boxes which would allow that one special wish to take place. The king’s brother knew that he would never be worthy of that wish so he plotted to take over the kingdom by force with an army that he had gathered, which led him to being banished from the kingdom by his father never to return, along with his army of traitors. The king guessed that his brother had probably sold them to Froggle’s ancestors and tricked them into thinking that they were sacred and needed protecting. Froggle looked down and sadness filled his eyes, when he looked up a tear trickled down his cheek, “I have spent my entire life protecting these stones and trying to work out their purpose... all for nothing?” Jacob was about to ask why the stones showed images of him but before he asked his question the boy stood up and looked around, “where is Dino?” Jacob said with a frown “did he not come back here?” Nobody had seen Dino since he had left with Jacob that morning. Jacob called out to his cat “Dino... Dino...” nothing, “ I must find him” Jacob said in a panic, “we will help you Jacob” said Dipper, “come on Bibble”, they ran up the hill together and headed back towards the place where they had left him, hoping to find the cat having a sleep in the grass on their way.
  “Oh dear, I have two friends lost now” Jacob told Dipper and Bibble as they walked “where could they be?” “Two?” replied Dipper, “yes, first Dizzy the mouse and now Dino!” Jacob told the trolls of how Dizzy had been acting very strange and of how he had just disappeared whist playing a game and also of how he had been found later on but he had seemed very different. “How do you mean different?” Bibble asked the boy. “Well, he was very grumpy and not like Dizzy at all” Jacob replied “almost like it wasn’t really him!” Dipper stopped and scratched his head “what was Smudge doing in the old abandoned rabbit warren yesterday Bibble? Let’s check it out!”
  Smudge was already at the old rabbit warren; he had set his trap and waited for the mouse’s friend to come and rescue him, as he waited he thought about being the leader of the trolls and of how he would run the fairies out of their land by force. The fairy kingdom would become the new Azar, he would become a king and all of the trolls would bow down to him, a smile crossed his lips and then a chuckle... and then a loud laugh.
   When they arrived at the rabbit warren Dipper turned to the boy “we will take a look, you are far too big to go down here!” Jacob thought for a moment, his friends may be in danger, “Wait a minute Dipper!” Jacob told his friends before spinning around in a circle three times, when he was done he looked up at the giant trolls, “I’m coming with you” he said.
  This time it was Dipper and especially Bibble, being the largest that were crawling on their hands and knees. Jacob led the way and searched the labyrinth of underground tunnels, he came upon a rock in a big hollowed out cavern and heard a muffled voice below it, “let me out!” the familiar voice cried, the tiny boy tried to move it but the rock was the size of a boulder to Jacob now and was way too heavy, “over here Dipper... help me!” Dipper and Bibble were struggling as the tunnels were getting smaller and narrower. When they arrived in the larger space they sat up and stretched their aching backs, Bibble lifted the rock easily and flipped it over then Jacob peered down into the hole beneath. “Jacob!” the mouse cried out “is that you?” “Dizzy! How in the world did you get down there?” “An ugly troll threw me down here” he explained, “Get me out of here will you!” Dipper and Bibble looked into the hole and Dizzy let out a shriek, “behind you Jacob look out!” Jacob laughed “they are with me Dizzy, we will get you out wait there and I will try and find something to pull you out”, “wait here! Where else would I be going, hurry up Jacob, I am starving”.
   Jacob found some weeds and tried to pull them out of the ground but they were too tough, he remembered that he had his pen knife so he took it out of his pocket and cut the weeds down, he tied a few together and then returned to the hole. “Take hold of this Bibble” Jacob asked the troll handing him one end of the rope, Jacob then threw the weedy rope into the hole and called for Dizzy to grab a hold of it, “Pull him up Bibble!” the boy said. Bibble yanked on the rope and the little mouse slid up the wall of the hole until he appeared at the top and collapsed on the ground at the big troll’s enormous feet; Jacob rushed to his friend and helped him up, Dizzy gave a smile and then hugged his friend, “did you bring any food with you?” he asked with a grin. “Let’s get out of here” said Jacob.
  As they turned to leave Smudge was on his hands and knees at the entrance of the warren and he gave the trolls, the boy and the mouse a big sly grin, “goodbye” he shouted out and then he tugged on a hidden string; The hidden string pulled on a hidden stick and the hidden stick snapped in half, the stick had been holding up the prepared collapsible ceiling and the ceiling came crashing down, filling the warren with soil.

                                                                              
                              
                                     Chapter 10


  The king had agreed with Froggle to return to Azar to look at the stones himself, the second sacred stone had told a story that they needed to solve. The trolls would never attack the fairies, Froggle was a great leader and the king knew this and he also knew that whilst under his leadership that he would never allow this to happen but he was very old now and a new leader would soon take his place. Froggle told the king on the journey to Azar that he had a troll in mind to take over his leadership when he was ready to step down, a good troll that he could trust and a troll that would become a great leader himself. As Froggle and the king approached Azar they saw Smudge appear through the bushes with a big smile on his face, his smile dropped as he got closer and it now became a menacing grin. The troll stopped and introduced himself, “I am Smudge your majesty, Froggle’s most loyal servant” he said to the king, the king looked at Smudge and he thought that he recognised the trolls orange eyes, he was sure that he had seen them before although he had never met the troll prior to this meeting.
   As Froggle and the king studied the Sacred stones they both frowned at the images in the second stone, “why would this happen?” the king remarked “and who is this troll shouting that he is leader and king now?” “I don’t know” replied Froggle. The king looked at the jumping spinning third stone and sadly spoke “what will this stone show?”
   Smudge’s plans were all going to plan, he had got rid of Jacob and his annoying friends and now he had the king of the Fairies and the leader of the trolls just where he wanted them, they were playing right into his hands and soon, very soon, he would be leader and king... Smudge smiled a wicked triumphant smile.
   Jacob called out to his friends “is everybody okay?” Dizzy said that he was fine, Dipper was fine too and he shouted to his best friend “Bibble! Are you alright?” Bibble turned his head towards his friends and nodded his answer. “What happened and who was that troll? Jacob asked, “He was the one that threw me down the hole” replied Dizzy. “It was a trap” Dipper said "but it didn’t work, come on Bibble, get up and let’s get out of here before the ceiling does collapse fully”, “I can’t move” replied Bibble, “the reason the ceiling didn't fully collapse is because my feet stopped it, if I move it will cave in”. Jacob and Dizzy squeezed past Bibble to take a closer look, “Bibble is right” Jacob shouted out to Dipper “his feet are propping up the ceiling, if he moves it will all come down on you both, Dizzy and I will go and get some help, we will be right back... don’t move!”
   Jacob and Dizzy left the rabbit warren and made their way to the fairy kingdom to get some help.
  There was a knock on the door and Froggle called out “come in”, Daisy opened the door and sounded distressed, “Jacob is in trouble and needs your help!” she said to the leader and the king, they rushed out of the cave together and out of Azar. Daisy led them towards a nearby woods where Smudges plan to get rid of the two leaders would take place, the trap was set and once they were both gone and he was made leader... all would be his.
   When Jacob and Dizzy arrived at the well everyone gathered to greet them, Daisy swooped down from a tree and wrapped her wings around the mouse that squeezed her gently back “Dizzy, I have been so worried about you” Daisy said with a smile, “I am fine” said the little mouse “but I am so hungry!” The bluebird flew towards a bush, plucked off a big juicy berry and then handed it to her friend, Dizzy crammed it into his mouth whole, licked his lips and let out a burp, “That’s Dizzy alright” said Princess Eleanor and everybody laughed.
  Jacob gathered a team to go and help Dipper and Bibble, he chose Lolly and Daisy for the rescue mission, “you are not leaving me here after those two helped me Jacob!” the mouse bravely spoke out “I’m coming too”, “come on then!” Jacob picked Dizzy up and placed him on his shoulder “let’s go, hold on tight Dizzy”.
   When they got to the warren Jacob snapped off some branches from a tree, Lolly and Dizzy squeezed past Bibble who was blocking the tunnel and still holding up the ceiling with his huge feet; He was asleep and snoring loudly so Dizzy told Dipper Jacobs plan and the troll woke his friend up. Bibble tried to sit up forgetting where he was and he banged his head on the ceiling, “ouch!” he moaned as small clumps of soil fell from the ceiling above him, “be careful Bibble” Dipper told him. Jacob pushed the two branches between the ceiling and Bibble’s stomach and once through he called out to Dipper “are you ready Dipper?” Dipper shouted “ready Jacob!” and together they held up the ceiling with the branches; “come on out Bibble” Jacob said to the big footed troll, Bibble pushed himself out carefully and when he was out Daisy flew into the tunnel with two sticks that Jacob had cut to shape with his pen knife. She gave one to Lolly and Dizzy helped to prop it under one of the branches that Dipper was holding then they did the same with the other and Dipper carefully let go; The props held the branches up on his side whist Jacob held the other ends outside of the warren, Dipper got on his belly and crawled along the tunnel as low as he could trying not to knock the branches holding up the ceiling. When Dipper came out, Daisy, Lolly and Dizzy followed behind, once everybody was clear Jacob let go of the branches and the old rabbit warren collapsed with a crash, the five friends cheered.
  In a nearby woods, the bluebird with orange eyes lead Froggle and the king towards the trap, “how much farther is it Daisy?” Froggle asked, “We are nearly there!” replied the smiling bird.


                                     Chapter 11


  When everybody was safe back at the well Jacob was greeted by Princess Eleanor, she explained that the king had gone with Froggle to Azar to see the visions that the sacred stones were showing. “We must go and warn them about Smudge” Dipper told Jacob, “yes” Jacob replied “and we must find Dino too”.”Dizzy, Lolly and Daisy, you stay here and I will go with Dipper and Bibble to Azar” Jacob told his friends, “we will be back soon”. They set off again and marched up the hill but before they had even got half way up the hill, Jacob heard a voice calling his name, he turned around to see Lolly swooping towards him and she landed at his feet looking up at him. “Come down here” the fairy smiled, the boy span around and in three turns he was the same size as Lolly and looking straight into the fairies blue eyes “please be careful Jacob” she said in a soft quiet tone and then she kissed him gently on the lips, their eyes met and the kiss sent shivers down his spine and he felt warm inside, his heart seemed to jump and flip like the third sacred stone in Azar, he smiled back at the beautiful fairy and then he ran up the hill to rejoin his troll friends.
   At the moment Lolly kissed Jacob on the lips the third sacred stone jumped and flipped for the very last time and it landed still upon the table in Azar.
  Deep in the woods the bluebird pointed into a small cave, “Jacob is trapped in here” she told the leader and the king. “Follow me” said Froggle who entered the cave first to help his friend, the king followed and behind them the bluebird turned into a troll. All of a sudden a gate was slammed shut behind them; they turned in surprise to see Smudge locking the gate with a smile across his face, “what in the world do you think you are doing Smudge? Let us out of here at once!” Froggle demanded. “I’m sorry Froggle but I can’t do that I’m afraid” Smudge let out a laugh and he told the leader with a menacing rasp “nobody will ever find you out here!”
  Jacob, Dipper and Bibble arrived at the entrance of Azar and the guard on duty let them pass, they made their way to Froggle’s room and without knocking this time they opened the door and entered; Froggle and the king were not here and as they turned to leave Dipper noticed the third sacred stone was lying still upon the table. “Look Jacob, the stone has stopped” the three friends gathered around the table and looked at the new images the third stone was now showing and then they looked up at each other and smiled, Jacob picked the three stones up and he put them in his pocket, “let’s go” he told Dipper and Bibble.
  Smudge thought he was very clever that he had outwitted the leader of the trolls and the king of the fairies with his disguise. He smiled to himself as he imagined what a great leader and king he would make of the fairies and trolls and of the new Azar. But even the smartest of trolls were careless and clumsy as Froggle had proved walking into the trap in the first place. The king of the fairies however had no doubt that they would be found because on the journey towards the trap deep in the woods he had left a trail of fairy dust, he had remembered the orange eyes that he recognized and he had seen the same eyes on the bluebird that led them here, he knew that Smudge was not to be trusted.
  Someone had already discovered the trail that the king had left behind him and was following it deep into the woods and that someone was already very close... very close indeed.
   Smudge had finished the final touches to his master plan, he had made a big curtain from leaves and vines that was to be hung over the locked gate of the cave to make it invisible, “nobody would ever think to look behind here” he said to himself out loud. Froggle called out from behind the gate, “You traitor!” Smudge approached the gate and gave a wicked smirk to the once great leader; Froggle looked scared as the treacherous troll came closer and he backed away as Smudge gazed through the gate at him, Smudge laughed at the fear in Froggle’s eyes and marvelled at the power that he already possessed. The king came forward and smiled at the troll on the outside of the gate, “do you not fear me also?” Smudge sneered at the king with a sly grin; the king just smiled and then calmly replied “look behind you Smudge!” The troll turned around and came nose to nose with Dino; “Boo” said the cat. Smudge stood frozen for a moment as the trolls most feared creature stared into his bulging orange eyes, the scariest looking black cat smiled the most fearsome smile and Smudge tried to scream but nothing came out... he panicked and tried to run but he got a foot caught in his curtain and fell flat on his face in the dirt.... He looked up at the ferocious creature before him, “Please don’t eat me!” the troll begged “please don’t eat me!” he repeated again. “Unlock the gate!” the cat demanded; the troll got to his feet and shook so much that he couldn’t get the key in to the keyhole of the lock. When he eventually did Dino told him to open the gate and let out Froggle and the king, he pulled it open and the two leaders came out from their prison, “get in!” Dino growled at the trembling troll, Smudge entered the cave and Froggle slammed the door shut and locked it. “What was it you said earlier Smudge?” Froggle picked up the curtain and before he hung it over the gate the troll leader answered his own question, “oh yes, nobody would ever think to look behind here!” Froggle threw the curtain over the gate and then the cat, the troll and the fairy king made their way home.

                                   
                                  Chapter 12


  The king stood on the wall of Jacobs well and looked down at his people and friends, below him they gathered and clapped and cheered, the king held up his arms and the crowd beneath him silenced. “Today has been a good day!” he called out with pride on his face, “today has ended in friendship and peace and we welcome our new friends to the fairy kingdom” Again the crowd roared their approval. “I call on Dipper, Bibble and Dino to come forward” the king called out loudly; the three friends made their way to the front of the crowd and the king flew down to the ground... he pulled out a shiny sword that he placed on their shoulders one at a time and then flew back to the wall of the well’’. “All give a cheer to Sir Dino, Sir Dipper and Sir Bibble, the bravest knights in the kingdom” the crowd let out a joyful loud cheer and fairies blew into flower trumpets. Princess Eleanor joined her father on the wall, “Today we have come together as one” she said with a smile “and the troll people are always welcome here” again everybody cheered.
  Another party had begun and music and laughter filled the fairy kingdom, Sir Dipper and Sir Bibble danced with their new friends the fairies, Daisy and Dizzy hugged before the mouse popped a big juicy berry into his mouth and Dino looked down at him and smiled the goofiest of smiles.
  Under the shade of a giant leaf Jacob put his arm around Lolly's waist and they both smiled at the sight of their friends enjoying themselves and looking so happy. Lolly put her lips to Jacobs’s ear and quietly whispered “what did the last sacred stone show Jacob?” The boy turned and faced the beautiful fairy...  he kissed her smiling lips and then held her hands at arm’s length. Jacob answered her question with the biggest grin on his face... “That’s another story Lolly” 

The End